Go with the Bessey. I have used them for years already and I'm quite happy as they always perform as they are advertised . Same as festool, great service, product and availability of spare parts down the road.

Nick,

I have some thoughts (& pics) on the subject.
I'll get back to this post later this evening. morning.

Roger

Nick-

I don't own any of the revos, but they look to be very nice.  They have quite a large clamping face and quite a few accessories available for them( they sell them where I work part time).  The reason I like the jet clamps is they have the trigger activator which on a complex or large glue up, where time is a concern, I can preset them and not have to worry about them moving out of position.

I am not sure if these will work for your style of work but I just baught a few of these and they seem to work really well.  Also, for hand strength they are extremely easy to operate:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=125392&FamilyID=321

JJ

DIsclaimer: I work part time at woodcraft but I hope you can tell that I am trying to be unbiased by telling you that I like the jet more than the bessy( we don't stock the jet) but I like the woodriver system even more.

Nick,

I don't own any of the Revo's but did tinker with them a few weeks ago at a retailer.  I still like the grip on the Jet clamps better, but it is a big improvement over the old Bessey models (solid wood handles).  The last year or so, the K-Bodies had a non-slip insert on the handle, and that helped.  Most of mine are just he plain wood.

I go back and forth as to which is my favorite, the Jet or the Bessey.  I have a better variety of the Besseys, so I use them more often, but I tend to reach for the Jet's when I have the right size.  Like Nick, I wish I had bought more of the Jet clamps when the prices were lower.  Without a doubt, they are both fine products.

I also have a couple of larger Jorgensen cabinet (K-Body style) clamps.  They were a lot cheaper then either the Bessey or Jet, but also perform admirably.  The Jorgensen are not as well machined, and probably weight twice what the Bessey do.

Add a snug fitting bicycle tube to the wooden handles and you might like the wooden handles better.

Good idea.

I don't really have problems with the wooden handles, but can see where some might.  Roughing up the paint on the handle and using PlastiDip might also work.

My thoughts on the Revos, Old Bessey's & Jet Clamps ...

(Note - Spread over the next several posts)


*   A word on the old Bessey's......

When I'm not switching the newer handles around,

(they are switchable - the new Revos, along with the newer handles that came out after the wooden and before the Revos...use the same inverted double c stock as the older ones)

(Allow me to clarify, they are switchable along with the bottom jaw - you just need to remove the black plastic do-dad at the end-and slide them off)

I've found that using soft jaw pliers helps a lot with that extra twist (when necessary) on the old Bessey wooden handles.

It saves my wrist, only takes a moment and doesn't scuff up the red paint!

The ones I have in the pictures below - I bought on ebay a while back (they are used a lot in the aircraft industry)

Lee Valley has a similar one here....... http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32197&cat=1,43456,43400

Caution !!.... do not use them on the new rubber handles of the Bessey's!


   







*   Comparing the gripping actions.....

The actual handles on the Revos and on the Bessey's that came out after the red wooden handles are the same. What's different are the jaws.

So how do the rubber handles on the Bessey's compare to the denser rubber handles of the Jet's? For all intensive purposes they are the same to me.

If I had to rate them on some handle scale the Jet's are a smidgin easier to tightly turn down then the Bessey's. What's noticeably different is the ratcheting action action when pushing

down on the headstock before you start twisting. The Jet's also have the quick release lever when undoing the clamps that the Bessey's don't have.


 

The Wooden Handle Besseys, The Rubber handle Bessey's on the same platform, The Jet handles

see the photo below (on the left) for the new Revo headstock.

*   Mixing them up....

When clamping up the set up in the left photo below I start out with the Jet's on either end, and then slip in the older Bessey's.

Because the Jet's are thicker in height it allows for easy access for the older  Bessey's. My assumption is that the Revos would act in the same way.

At present I only have 4 of the 82 inch Revos.


    

Jet's & the older K body's                                                                                                  The UniCllamps from Bessey (more manageable on certain types of work)






*   My "go to clamp" when using the "bowclamps"


When using the bowclamps in certain situations it's important when putting on the second clamp to cinch down firmly before starting the twisting action.

For this action the Jet's are definitely hands down my "go to clamp."  It's the ratcheting gripping action I'm referring to.

Allow me to explain, when you apply the second clamp on a bowclamp set up it's crucial to push down firmly before twisting the handle close.

You do this because you don't want to use up the travel of the acme thread before you finish up the clamping action.

On the Jet's you do this in conjunction with the quick release. Te Revos & the older Bessey's just don't have the same ratcheting, gripping action.


 






*   The systematic approach using the Bessey's (old & new)

The Bessey's have the unique features of modifying the clamps beyond the individual potential of each clamp.

They allow themselves to become transformed, they do this in a couple of ways......

1. K body extenders   http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12497

2. KR-AS Adapter  http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/product.php/section/7921/sn/BESKRAS

                                      (great click on pictures showing full range of these adaptors on site above)

                                      Adapter with tilting clamping jaws with a tilt range of -15? to +15?lengthen

I'll talk about the extenders only since I've not yet used the Angle Adaptors. The extenders allow you lengthen the clamps by removing the tail stock and arranging the elements as I have

in the photos below. You can use the extenders with any of the K body clamps including the older models. You could add an older model to an Revo clamp and go beyond 12 feet, as I have

in these photos. The extender could be flipped around to accommodate your work at hand.

(note the machine screws & nuts in the extender need only be hand tightened.)




     



   



*   Final thoughts......

When looking at the big picture including the versatility of the Revos along with your older k-bodys my vote would be to go with the Revos, hands down.

I'm not dismissing the Jet's, in fact I'd like to get a few more of the smaller ranges. But as a workable system in the way that I work the Revos would be the way to go.

hope this helps,
cheers,

Roger




ps. in the coming weeks I should be adding to the content as well as to the pictures.

reserved

Roger,

not a problem.  I understand deadlines, especially if it's money/income, satisfaction of completion and craftsmanship.

Or all the above. 

 

I kind of miss that thread hole in the bottom of the Jets. I commonly use it with a dog to place in the MFT holes. The Jet handles still seem bigger as does the actual clamping surface..

I guess I will try the Revos. I work a little differently from you Roger so I am still unsure which I will like best. I do know I use my Bessy only after all my Jet are being used at this point. Maybe Revo will be my new go to clamp. It will be fun finding out.

It seems I can't go wrong getting the Revos no matter what.